Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-10-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Oct. IL, 1888

:
There is a strong probability that
the President on his return will call
an extra session Of Congress. His
trip to the great west has given him
enlarged ideas of the grandeur and
magnitude of the country over which
he providentially presides. If be
had taken that trip years ago, he
would have been a wiser man, and
the country would have been saved
a vast amount OF financial trouble
and anxiety. There is time yet for
him to atone for the neglect of his
education of earlier years, and il he
returns with the thought that the
Presidency of great Nation means
something more than mere political
chicanerJ, the time and expense of
his trip will be Of small account.
The evidence is thoroughly .conclu-
sive that the President had his
speeches prepared in advance, print
ed at the Government Printing Of
flee, and took them away in sheets
ready to be discharged at the var
ious cities he intended to visit. The
proof is abundant and Mr.. Cleveland
must lace it. .1oec1f
The Government Printing office
is the regular bee hive of Washing.
ton. 1t is the largest printing es-
tablishment in the world-being 300
feet long, $50 feet wide, and stories
high. All the public documents are
printed here, and all the modern in
ventions to facilitate rapid work, are
here in use. There are about 1890
employed in the building, and the
volumes issued each year reach
thousands of tons in weight and mil.
lions of copies. 1t is a great treat
to visit the establishment.
At the National Observatory they
have a wonderful instrument known
as the" Great Equatorial Telescope"
which weighs 10000 pounds. A
sight through that, some clear moon
light evening, is worth trip to
Washington. Truly "the heavens
declare the glory of God, and the fir.
mament sheweth his handiwork."
The observatory is under the direc.
ton OF the Navy Department, and
ranks with the foremost in the world.
Its library is very large and choice,
and is great resort for the thought
full and studious.
Some OF the foreign diplomats at
Washington are exceedingly well
paid by their respective Govern.
ments, some being double and treble
what we pay our Ministers. The
British Minister gets $50, 900 a year,
and is allowed 800, 900 year for en-
tertaining; the German Minister
gets $4,000, the Japanese $4,000,
the Chinese $4,000, and is allowed
S11 900 for house rent. The Turkish
$4,000, Russian 100000, and French
$4,000. The Chinese Minister is
said to be worth s3,OOO,OOO, and is
regarded as the ablest and shrewdest
of all the foreign diplomats.
There are about 10000 clerks en-
plOyed in the departments at Wash.
ington, about 1000 of this number
being females, the great majority of
whom are finely educated and most
esrimable ladies. Many of them are
the widows or daughters of noted
Generals, ex,Congressmen. ex.Cab.
met Ministers, etc. and many of
them marry noted men. There is,
no doubt, quite number of very
questionable characters in this vast
aggregate, but the majority of the
lady clerks will rank with the best
women of the land.
The dead,letter Office reveals some
interesting facts that should cause
us to be little more careful in our
correspondence. During the past
year, 100000 letters were received
there, making an average of $4,000
for every working day. Nearly four
million of these letters were never
called for at the post offices to which
they were directed, and 1000 of
them we're sent to hotels and reach.
ed there after the guests for whom
they were intended, had left. A
great many of the letters were mis-.
directed. Fully 1000 Of this kind
come to the Office every day. Many
of the letters contain money and last
year there was $4,000 in cash among
them and more than / 500, 900 drafts
and money orders. Eighty four
thousand letters contained postage
stamps, $4,000 photographs, and 25,-
900 articles of merchandise.